Funding from the State Library of North Carolina supported the
electronic publication of this title.

Text transcribed by
Erika Lindemann

Images scanned by
Mara E. Dabrishus

Text encoded by
Amanda Page

First Edition,
2005

Size of electronic edition: ca. 11K

Publisher: The University Library, University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

2005

The electronic edition is a part of the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill digital library, Documenting the American
South.

Languages used in the text:
English

Revision history:

2005-05-19, Amanda Page finished TEI/XML encoding.

Part of a series:
This transcribed document is part of a digital collection, titled True and Candid
Compositions: The Lives and Writings of Antebellum Students in North
Carolina
written by
Lindemann, Erika

Source(s):

Title of collection: University Papers (#40005), University
Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Title of document: Petition, April 27, [1861]

Author: Harry Hill Price, b. 1842

Author: Robert Bruce Peebles, 1841-1916

Author: Willoughby F. Avery, 1843-1876

Description: 3 pages, 4 page images

Note:
Call number 3129 (Southern Historical
Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

Editorial practicesThe text has been encoded using the recommendations for Level 5 of
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North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Original grammar, punctuation, and spelling have been preserved.DocSouth staff created a 600 dpi uncompressed TIFF file for each image. The TIFF images were then saved as JPEG images at 100 dpi for web access.Page images can be viewed and compared in parallel with the
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For more information about transcription and other editorial decisions,
see Dr. Erika Lindemann's explanation under the section Editorial Practices.

Document Summary

A petition on behalf of the first-year, sophomore, and junior
classes requesting the suspension of college duties so that students can
prepare for war.

We the undersigned in behalf of the Junior– Sophomore and
Freshman Classes of the
University of North Carolina do respectfully petition
through you to the Trustees of the said
University to have College duties suspended until next
Session. In presenting this petition we have been actuated by no desire to be
released from our studies but by a thorough conviction that the present
perilous condition of our country and our own interest demand it. From a weeks
experience we are thoroughly convinced that it is impossible for us to attend
to our duties in the midst of so much excitement. It may be urged against our
petition that
the War may
not last more than two or three months in which case our services will not be
needed. This we admit but even then we loose nothing—since we cannot
study as it is—while we gain a great deal

Page 2

in
bodily strength which would enable us to prosecute our studies without more vigor next Session; but on the other
hand if
the War
should be one of long duration we certainly would be needed and in all
probability we would have to leap at once from ease and inactivity into the
hardships of War, unprepared to render to our country anything like that aid
which our love for her and her institutions would prompt us to offer, and which
we would render were we permitted to prepare ourselves to undergo the fatigue
of a Campaign.

And moreover, we are thoroughly convinced by deligent enquiries that
should College duties not be suspended– there will not be more than
seventy five students at
Chapel
Hill by the 1st of June– For the last five or
six days eight or ten have left per day and many more are only waiting to
receive money– to leave Sincerely hoping that the above may meet with the
approbation and sanction of the Trustees, and knowing that they have an eye
single to the welfare of their country. We do sincerely hope that they may see
they necessity of every arms being wielded in the coming contest and every sons
participating in the defence of our "homes and our firesides".

N. B.
The Senior Class intending to leave after

Page 3

Senior
Speaking took no part in the meeting in which we were appointed to address you.

Endnotes:

1. University Papers, UA. The petition, which must have been
written in the same month as the surrender of
Fort
Sumter, is addressed to
Charles
Manly, former governor of
North Carolina(1849-51) and secretary of the
University'sboard of trustees. An endorsement in
Manly's hand appears on the verso of the second leaf
"Petition/of/Students/to/dismiss the College." The letter was written
in
Raleigh,
which also is where
Manly
lived, but which of the three signers wrote it is unclear. According to
Battle, "The petition met with no success"
(1:720).